Carefree Enough To Laugh
by sierrarae1316
Summary: It really all started when, in third grade, her best friend moved away. Even at 5, she was convinced he made the world keep going. He brightened her day just by smiling. They were inseparable. Apparently not, she chastised herself. Because he left, remember?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my very first story, so please remember that guys. I'm pretty sure this story is only going to be a few chapters really. I really liked the idea of Peeta and Katniss being friends and one leaving then coming back and they reunite so I'm excited where this goes. And i'm sorry for such a short chapter but i promise this story gets more promising, I just came up with this idea and had to write it. Plus it's really late when I am writing this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games whatsoever.**

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Chapter one:

Katniss walked in to her biology class early. Like, always. She felt a rush of relief when she saw that the teacher, Mr. Volts apparently, wasn't even in there. But also, she felt a pang on something she couldn't quite decipher. Sadness? It surely wasn't that, she told herself. She was fine, content even.

Katniss was content on being alone. She preferred it even. Ever since first grade, so she was pretty used to it by now.

The only time she wasn't alone at school was when she let Madge Undersee sit next to her at lunch and in the one class they had together. Madge was quiet like her most the time, so she couldn't complain.

She could remember a time when she wasn't unapproachable to most people. It was before everything happened. Before everything got taken away from her. Before he left. And before her dad left.

It really all started when, in third grade, her best friend moved away. Even at 5, she was convinced he made the world keep going. He brightened her day just by smiling. They were inseparable.

Apparently not, she chastised herself. Because he left, remember?

After that she changed, and became more reserved. She didn't leave her bed for two week and didn't even talk to anyone besides her dad for two months and even then, it was only when she had to. But most of all, she didn't laugh as much when he left.

Then of course, the one thing that she did cling to left too: Her dad. He was coming home from work when he got in a car accident and his car caught on fire and exploded, basically.

She would have really attempted suicide if it weren't for her baby sister Prim though. She realized she had to take care of her because her selfish mother left too. She zoned out when he died, to where she couldn't even think, just stare at a wall.

Prim is still the only reason she is still here.

She's 16 now and it's her first day of hell. Again.

While sitting at her new desk, in the back of the classroom by the window, she begins to drift off in thought to the scenery out her window. She was so entranced by outside she didn't even notice the other kids filing in, until the bell rang and Mr. Volts starts talking.

Huh. She's never met a teacher who insists on you calling him by his first name, which apparently is Beetee.

Just as Beetee starts discussing the class rules of this year, there's a knock on the door and Katniss almost scoffs. Who is late on their first day?

She looks up from her rule sheet/syllabus, expecting the disruption to come from someone like Cato. But when her eyes meet his face, she drops her pen and her eyes bulge out her head.

It's him. Wait, no it's not, you're just hallucinating, Everdeen.

At this time he is talking to Beetee, and just as he turns his head to look for a seat, she ducks out of sight to look down for her pen.

But, he sees her.

Oh Jesus, he's looking at me, she notices out of the corner of her eye.

He begins to make a beeline for her, looking like he saw a damn unicorn. And at that moment she actually hates that she chose to sit in the back because there is an empty seat right next to her, and she just knows he's going to fucking sit in it. But she still mentally sends a prayer for help.

He sits next to her.

While she expects him to make some grand gesture to her that will embarrass her, he doesn't. In fact, he doesn't do anything but listen to the teacher and cast a few glances her way occasionally. Eventually she started to feel relieved, but then that quickly gets replaced by confusion and a bit of anger.

Why doesn't he say anything? Does he even remember me? Oh god, he doesn't even remember who I am? Of course, why would he? You were 5 years old; no one remembers anything that long ago. No one except you.

In the middle of her chastising war, she slips her note. She gets so startled that she practically jumps out of her chair. Then the bell rings and he practically runs out of the room.

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**Please tell me how I did. I'm not entirely sure what you guys will think and if you have any advice please I'm all ears. Except for hate, then I don't care and I'll just plug my ears or something. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.**

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Katniss is sitting on her bed when she begins to finally contemplate his message.

_Hi, Katniss._

Okay, so he does remember me. But, what is that message supposed to mean?

Katniss was never the one to imagine all the possibilities of situations, so as she's sitting there, thinking of what was going on in his head, she comes up clueless. Then she gets a headache.

Groaning, she gets up and goes into the kitchen and takes a headache reliever pill. Just as she finishes her glass of water, her sister comes in and drops her bag on the floor.

"That's what your room is for, Prim." Katniss scrutinizes.

"Yes I know but my arms were just _so tired_ from walking _all _the _way _home, Katniss."

"Whatever, little duck, just make sure it ends up in your room."

"Okay, Katniss." She replies as she goes to the fridge to grab some juice.

"So how was school?" Katniss asks, just to get her mind off of Peeta, knowing full well that Prim will do the trick.

"Oh, it was awesome! Rue and I have 6 out of 8 classes together! And since it's the first day, it was just rules and boring stuff so we got to talk the whole time!" she practically yells. She takes a drink of her juice before continuing. "So, yeah today was pretty fun. Except for when we were at lunch with Rory, and Kylie walked by touching Rory's arm! She totally did that on purpose."

Unlike Katniss, Prim is very sociable and up to date with all the school gossip in her middle school. So naturally she is a normal teenager and that means boys. Yes, as much as Katniss cannot stand it, Prim already likes boys. Especially Gale Hawthorn's little brother, Rory.

Gale Hawthorn is a lot like Katniss in a few ways. One being that both of their dads' died around the same time. Another being that they are both on them live on the poor side of town known as The Seam. But overall, the last one being that they look a lot alike with their similar olive skin and grey eye color. Sometimes when Katniss was little the kids at school would run up to her and ask if they were brother and sister.

But other than that, Katniss and Gale are nothing alike. He is popular because he is on the football team and goes to the school events. He is always with his friends (the other football players) and the cheerleaders. Anyone else, he hasn't really given the time of day to since they started high school three years ago.

Katniss starts to get lost again in thought when Prim suddenly interrupts.

"Katniss, hello?"

"What, what?"

"I asked you if I could go over to Rue's house for a little while."

Oh, yeah sure. Just make sure you're back by 6:30." Katniss replies, while prim is already heading to the door, knowing that Katniss was going to say yes.

"Thanks!" Prim yells, as she's walking out the door.

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That night Katniss cannot stop thinking about him. The more she thinks the more she doesn't really know. So naturally, her mind drifts back to the past like it always does when she's alone.

_"Ouch!"_

_Katniss is laying on the ground looking up at those stupid slippery blue monkey bars that she fell off of._

_"Katniss are you okay?!" Peeta asks as he peers down at her, covering the view of the monkey bars with his face._

_"I thinks so." she replies as he begins to help her up._

_"Oh, goodness. I'm so glad." He smiles out of relief at her._

_That's when she finds herself smiling back at him, admiring his pretty blue eyes._

_"You really should be more careful, Katniss."_

_And just like that, her smiles becomes her signature scowl. "No. Don't tell me what to do, Peeta." If it's one thing that Katniss doesn't like, it's being told what to do._

_She whips her head around and begins to march off towards the hill. The place she always goes when someone makes her upset at school. _

_"Katniss! Wait!" Peeta yells as he starts to run to catch up._

_"No, Peeta. You made me mad" she says as she reaches her hill and sits down._

_"I know, I'm sorry." Peeta apologizes right before he sits down next to her. "It's just that I love you and I don't like you being hurt."_

_Katniss looks over at him sharply. "You love me?"_

_He beams at her, clearly pleased that he made her scowl go away. "Yes"_

_She looks back down to her hands in her lap and can't fight the grin on her face. "I love you too, Peeta."_

_"Yay!"_

_She laughs at his excitement._

_"Now can I go push you on the swing?" He asks her while standing up and grabbing her hand._

_She giggles but let's him pull her up and walk her to the empty swing._

Katniss is pretty sure the taste in her mouth is blood from biting her tongue and cheeks, while remembering the first time he told her he loved her.

You were five, Katniss. Get over yourself!

She groans and turns over onto her stomach and smashes her face into her pillow. Not much later, she drifts off to sleep.

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**Hey guys this is also a short one, I know but the next one will get it more exciting and moving when she goes back to school. Please review so I know what you guys think about it so far. **


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